How China helped arm Iran before Trump rolled out the red carpet for Xi

File photo: Chinese president Xi Jinping and US president Donald Trump US president Donald Trump hosted a grand welcome for Chinese president Xi Jinping but in the background of this fanfare, an investigation by the Wall Street Journal has shown how China has been supporting Iran militarily in its war against the US.When the US and Iran agreed to a temporary truce this summer, China was quick to highlight its diplomatic role.Beijing said its foreign ministry had made dozens of calls to help ease tensions, while Xi Jinping had personally offered suggestions aimed at ending the conflict.But on the very day the truce was signed, a Chinese aircraft landed in Tehran carrying electronics for Iran’s ministry of defense. According to Iranian customs records analysed by WSJ, some of the components could be used in drone systems and missile guidance equipment.This shipment was also not an isolated incident, as WSJ found records of around 1,300 shipments of dual-use components from China to Iran’s defence ministry through the end of June. Two days after the truce-day delivery, more than a dozen additional shipments arrived carrying parts worth over $6 million that could be used in drones.With...